The present invention relates generally to garments and more particularly to garments that are adjustable to accommodate various human growth periods.
One of the most expensive aspects of child rearing is providing clothing for children as they progress through various human growth periods. The life expectancy of children's wear is usually not dictated by durability but by the length of time the clothing can comfortably fit the child. Presently the only practical way to extend the useable life of children's clothing is to "hand down" the clothing to younger children.
Another shortcoming of children's wear is that it is usually designated by sizes corresponding to the ages of children. Children's heights and weights can vary drastically, however, even among children of the same age. It is desirable therefore to provide for children's wear that can be adjusted to fit the needs of each individual child.
One means for providing easy adjustment in clothing is the use of hook and loop or VELCRO type material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,699 to Barabe discloses a waistband adjustment for an adult garment. Barabe uses flexible VELCRO strips on the waistband of garments to accommodate small increases and decreases in waist size due to weight gain or loss.
Likewise U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,936 to Jones discloses an adjustment for adult garments. The adjustment mechanism consists of VELCRO strips placed on the insides of the lower portion of the legs of formal wear pants to accommodate small changes in the length of trousers for adult men's formal wear.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,854 to Aaron discloses diaper panties for babies. The diapers use a hook and loop type of arrangement to secure the diaper about the baby. This arrangement gives limited flexibility to accommodate adjustments for different size babies.
Other devices disclose the use of VELCRO as a means of converting garments from one form to another form. U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,495 to Jones discloses an adult's coat garment that has a semi-detachable sleeve wherein a coat can be converted to a vest. The sleeves of Jones, however, are merely detachable, no means of providing adjustment for growth is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,742 to Rahaim discloses an adult's convertible short pants and skirt garment that uses VELCRO as a means of temporarily securing the garment in various configurations. In particular this garment is made so as to function as a skirt in one configuration and a pair of shorts with a crotch in the second configuration. Again, as with the Jones patent there is no provision for adjustments to be made to accommodate human growth for various sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,122 to Steverson discloses an adult convertible garment wherein a raincoat can be converted to a car length coat or a coat may be converted to a coverall garment. The principal means of connecting the various parts of the convertible garment are VELCRO connectors. As with other prior art garments, this garment lacks the adjustment characteristic of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,946 to Koenig discloses a child restraining garment with a detachable bib. The purpose of the garment is to secure a small child or infant to a high chair while the child is eating. The Koenig garment uses VELCRO as a means of providing child restraint but fails to provide the degree of adjustability required for child growth that the present invention provides.
Aside from adjustability, the present invention offers many other advantages over the prior art. Because of the extensive use of hook and loop type connectors, the use of snaps and zippers is minimized or eliminated. Snaps and zippers can cause injuries to small children or infants because the children have a tendency to tamper with them. Children may also attempt to tamper with a standard VELCRO connection. The present invention inhibits such tampering by providing a shield piece over the VELCRO fastening to prevent children from dismantling the clothing. The locations of the VELCRO fittings also limit the child's ability to tamper with the clothing. For example, the shoulder adjustment of the present invention is located in front at a location that is difficult for the infant to reach. Likewise the leg adjustments of the present invention are located in back to make it difficult for the child to tamper with the adjustments.
The use of VELCRO also facilitates the attachment of accessories to children's clothing. Examples of these accessory attachments are removable bib attached to the front of the jumpsuit and a removable hood that can be attached to the back of the jumpsuit. In this embodiment, the connection provides for a more secure fastener. Additionally, gloves and boots can be attached by VELCRO means to the ends of the arms or legs of the basic jumpsuit. The legs of the jumpsuit can also be provided with a VELCRO inseam to provide easy access to an infant's diaper.